Last evening, I took my first proper walk around the neighborhood and quickly discovered that I live on the wrong side of the tracks.
I’ve never lived on the wrong side of the tracks before, but that’s not to say I’ve ever lived on the right side either. I’ve just never lived anywhere in the proximity of a train until now– and it’s as simple as that. As it turns out– trains are really fucking loud. Same with church bells, which strike every hour from 7 am to 9 pm, and sound like death chimes to my ears.
While the cottage I live in is cute enough inside, it’s only a few feet away from a very busy street and a major intersection of Pensacola. Hang a left out my front door, and you’ll find a kidney dialysis center, two check-cashing stores, and a Dollar General. I live across from Popeye’s Chicken, directly next door to a McDonald’s, and 500 feet away from a 24-hour Krispy Kreme. I’ve never lived next to fast food restaurants before, or as far away from fresh produce and nutritious food options. Needless to say, it’s been an eye-opening experience. I eat a lot of donuts now.
The further you walk away from the main road, the town takes on a different vibe. There are tree-lined streets, with old, pretty houses, many with benches and rocking chairs outside, just like a Country Time Lemonade commercial. On the other side of the train tracks, I discovered charming restaurants, shops, museums, and art galleries. I found parks and harbor that reminded me a lot of Sausalito. It all felt familiar-ish, but still very different than San Francisco. I look forward to settling in and experiencing what it’s like to live someplace else.
At night, it’s super dark here. I’m not accustomed to such an absence of light, and admittedly it feels a bit risky to walk around at night alone, but I do it anyway. The air is sweet, and the sounds at night are magical. It’s strange how different the South feels from California, and you could never mistake the two as the same.
I’ve been spending time visiting with my cousins since I arrived. They live a half hour away, closer to the Alabama border. They are about to go out of town to Tampa for cancer surgery, which sucks on a lot of levels. I’ll certainly miss them while they’re away. I don’t know a single other person here. They’ve lent me a car while they’re away, and that will enable me to do some grocery shopping and even get myself to the gym for the very first time since Covid! I haven’t driven a stick shift in 15 years, which makes me a little nervous. I hope it’s like riding a bike. And that I don’t kill anyone.
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